Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Click Your Needles for Babies

May 17 2011……

Now that the donations have started pouring in it is time to really get this party started. Below are are just a few of the many purple hats that have been donated by the lovely ladies at the Rainer Vista Apartments in Pacific Washington. They are knitted on a round loom.

Hey wait a minute where did this one come from? Apparently someone didn’t follow the instructions. No wait a minute…he is starting to look a little familiar. Could it be ? Yes that is my little brown mouse hat ( made from the same pattern)…Hmmmm… I guess he snuck in to remind us all to just have fun with this project. Yeah that’s what he meant…unhuh.

We even have our Mascot crocheting away for the cause…How about you?

May 7 2011…(This is where it all began)

At work many of us crafters are working hard on a charity project. We are making purple Hats for babies to help educate new parents about the period of purple crying. It is a normal but frustrating time when babies tend to cry more in the first few weeks and months of life. The purple hats will be given to new parents at Seattle Children's Hospital (as well as nine other hospitals) in the month of November, as a reminder not to shake your baby to get them to stop crying. Frustration with crying is the number one reason a parent shakes and harms a baby. To learn more about this cause please visit www.clickforbabies.org-orTwitter@PurpleCrying

My friend Maggie has created a pattern and will be offering this pattern for the cause. I have crocheted little hats and booties for preemies in the past. This project was right up my alley. I have created some not purple ones just to donate for the celebration of a new life.

This is my friend Maggie who created the pattern offered today. As you can see she is so good she can make hats with her eyes closed. Thanks Maggie. The hats in front of her are all variations of her pattern.

Notice the lovely purple Bracelet Maggie is wearing , these are being given to all who participate in this project.

New Born Hat Pattern

G hook and regular yarn

Step 1: Chain 2- then 6 sc in thesecond chain

Step 2: 2 sc in each stitch around

Step 3: 2 sc in the next stitch, 1sc in the next

Step 4: 2 sc in the next stitch, 1 sc in the next 2 stitches- repeat to finish row.

Step 5; 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 3- repeat to finish row.

Step 6: 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 4- repeat to finish row.

Step 7: 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 5- repeat to finish row.

Step 8; 1 sc in all stitches of this row-repeat the row 11 times

Step 9; sc in each stitch but only in the back of each stitch to complete row.

Step 10; sc crochet in every stitch to complete this row-repeat this row 4 times.

This completes the basic pattern. I have added a row of shells to mine. if you want to do this:

When you get to the last stitch do a slip stitch. then reverse the direction, do a sc in the last stitch of last row (you’ll be doing this in the direction your came from) skip a stitch in the next stitch do 2 double crochet, two chain stitches,2 double crochet, skip a stitch do a sc- repeat to finish the row and tie off.

I added a rose and leaf to each just to make more special.

When I was little I would watch my grandmother make small granny squares from her yarn when there wasn’t enough for another project (this was when yarn had dye lots) so she wouldn’t waste any. She would use the squares to make lap afghans for local nursing homes and gifts. I decided to take her lead. I use all my scrap yarn to make roses and add them to many projects. I always have a large bag of them. My scrap green yarn is made into leaves. I hope you enjoy this project. Have a great week, with love from the Victorian Rabbit.

I found you through Savvy's linky. Thanks so much to you, and your friend, for sharing this beautiful pattern, and for such an important cause! I have a new niece or nephew coming soon and I might have to use the pattern. I hope you'll check out my blog at http://withoutcomplexities.blogspot.com where I have recently shown two knitting projects.

First of all, thank you for doing God's work, you're very special! The little hat's for the babies are adorable. I wish I could help, but I've never learned to knit or crochet. Thank you so much for linking up!!

Tk u & Maggie for sharing your talents & pattern with the rest of us. This little hat is sooo cute! I really love the colours you chose in the pic (yellow, pink, blue) these are just adorable! Great idea on the purple hats for the babies - kudos to you both! I just love the flower & leaves you placed on the hats - I, like Kimie above, would like to know if you would share the pattern for the beautiful flower & leaves - I think it just finishes off the adorable little hat. Many tks for sharing your talents & pattern again with us. I hail from Canada & wouldn't mind donating some of these to the NICU (neo-natal intensive care units) at our local hospitals. Tk u again.